Council budget released

DERWENT VALLEY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

2013 – 2014 Rates Set for Derwent Valley

20^th June 2013

Derwent Valley Council is pleased to announce that it has kept rate increases to a minimum again this year.

“Council voted to accept the draft budget presented to them with rate increases for the 2013–2014 year set to be 3.5%,” Mayor Martyn Evans said.

Derwent Valley Council was one of the first in Tasmania to introduce public budget submissions to its budgetary process.

“This gives members of the public the opportunity to submit projects to be funded in the budget, these may be community or infrastructure projects, and can be things that Council would sometimes overlook in day to day business.

Some of the projects funded this year include:

• Derwent Valley Regional Arts inaugural art competition major prize,
• Installation of guard rails on Backriver Road, in the vicinity of Fairview Primary to increase safety for both motorists and pedestrians.
• Construction of a properly formed car park at the Molesworth Community Hall.  This was done as a joint venture between the Molesworth Hall Committee and Derwent Valley Council.  During recent bushfires the Hall was initially used as a community assembly point and emergency vehicles used the parking area, and
• Financial support for the Tiger Trail Festival, an initiative of the Mt Field Tourism Group and community in the area.

Spending on capital works will continue this year with major items including:

• Continuation of essential works including kerb and channel, stormwater works and sealing between Blackhills Road and Backriver Road,
• Re-sealing of a portion of the Glenora Road,
• Continuation of drainage replacement and upgrades across the municipal area, including Maydena, Molesworth and Third Avenue, and;
• Erosion prevention along the Esplanade.

“Council is mindful of the financial pressures that household budgets face, and works to keep a balance between keeping rate increases to a minimum while still providing essential services to residents,” Martyn Evans said.

Willow Court latest

DERWENT VALLEY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

WILLOW COURT BARRACKS PRECINCT RENEWAL WORKS

June 2013

 

“Progress continues to be made on restoration works at Willow Court” Chairman of the Derwent Valley Councils Willow Court Conservation Special Committee David Llewellyn said today.

“Expressions of interest for work on the Barracks, Bronte and landscaping surroundings were received by the Committee at its June 13^th meeting and I’m very pleased to say that a high number of quality submissions were received”.

The installation of new underground electricity now completed to the site has resulted in new lighting down the length of the avenue and the start of works to repair the broken windows in Bronte is progressing.

Providing lights and electricity to the site and basic repair works are a few of the many current activities overseen by the Committee. 

David Llewellyn emphasised that the Committee is actively pursuing the use of local contractors for many aspects of the work, and has already used a number of local contractors. 

“We expect to award contracts shortly to prepare the necessary planning and heritage documentation to undertake the major restoration and redevelopment works at The Barracks and Bronte, including full landscaping of the heritage precinct”, Mr Llewellyn said.

Willow Court is a nationally recognised heritage precinct, of great importance to the region and nation.  The most historic of the many buildings that make up the site is The Barracks, built around 1830.  The Barracks was built as Tasmania’s first hospital for invalid convicts but soon was exclusively used as a ‘lunatic asylum’.

“The joint funding between local, State and Federal government for the heritage precinct project is an important collaboration”, David Llewellyn said. 

Planning scheme consultation

EXPERT advice on the new Derwent Valley Planning Scheme will be available at two information sessions this week. Once approved, this new document will replace the New Norfolk Planning Scheme of 1993. The new planning scheme is intended to be consistent with those of all other councils in southern Tasmania. 

All 12 southern Tasmanian councils have approved their draft planning schemes for release for public consultation until July 12. Following the consultation period, the councils will review all comments received and then prepare final drafts for formal submission to the Minister for Planning. The draft Derwent Valley Planning Scheme and those of the 11 other southern councils can be viewed online at http://stca.tas.gov.au/draft-planning-schemes

Comments on the new schemes can be lodged electronically via the website, or in writing to the relevant council. The Derwent Valley Council will hold two drop-in sessions with planning officer Martin McCance on Tuesday and Friday this week, from 3-7pm in the council social rooms, Circle St.

Join us at Lachlan

THIS month's meeting of the Derwent Valley Council will be held at the Lachlan Community Hall this Thursday. A community forum will be held at 6.30pm, providing an informal opportunity for residents and ratepayers to ask questions or raise matters of concern. The council meeting will follow at 7pm. The agenda can be downloaded here.

The council meeting roster for the rest of the year is as follows:

• 20 June 2013 - Lachlan 7pm (community forum at 6.30pm)
• 18 July 2013 - New Norfolk 6.30pm
• 15 August 2013 - New Norfolk 6.30pm
• 19 September 2013 - New Norfolk 6.30pm
• 17 October 2013 - Molesworth 7pm (community forum at 6.30pm)
• 21 November 2013 - New Norfolk 6.30pm
• 19 December 2013 New Norfolk 6.30pm

Have your say on the new planning scheme

A SHORT but significant council meeting was held earlier tonight to approve the release of the draft Derwent Valley Council Interim Planning Scheme for public consultation. Once approved, this new document will replace the New Norfolk Planning Scheme of 1993. The new planning scheme is intended to be consistent with those of all other councils in southern Tasmania.

It is anticipated that all 12 southern Tasmanian councils will approve their new planning schemes for release this week, to be advertised in this Saturday's newspaper. Look out for it at the weekend, or check back here for the web link.

There will be six weeks of public consultation, during which time you can sign up to submit your comments online or alternatively send them in the old fashioned way. Two drop-in sessions with the council's planning officer will be held in June. This is an "informal" period of public consultation before the draft planning scheme is submitted to the Tasmanian Planning Commission for approval.

Council reforms passed - mostly

THE following media releases are reproduced here without alteration. The deputy premier's statement beats around the bush on the topic of compulsory voting at council elections, which was defeated in the Legislative Council.

Bryan Green
Deputy Premier
Thursday 23rd May 2013
Major Local Government Reforms Passed

The Deputy Premier Bryan Green tonight welcomed the passing of major local government reforms by the Legislative Council. “These are very important reforms that will help re-shape the future of local government in Tasmania,” Mr Green said. “We put the reforms forward in good faith and now we will deal with the amended legislation when it returns to the Lower House to give local government certainty.

“All-in, all-out council elections will enable councils to focus on delivering their policies over a fixed-term like all other levels of government. Rather than elections for half the council ever two years this will provide continuity for our leaders in local government and the communities they represent. These changes will help ensure councils are even more accountable and responsive to their communities, while also letting them get on with the job that voters have elected them to do.

Mr Green said preventing dual representation would ensure that elected representatives can focus all of their efforts on the interests of their local communities. “This will relieve elected representatives of conflicting demands on their time.

Mr Green said he recognised the move towards compulsory voting was not supported by all councils. “The aim of compulsory voting was to help lift participation and make local government more representative of the communities they represent,” Mr Green said.



Tim Morris MP
Greens Local Government spokesperson
Friday, 24 May 2013
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORMS DELIVER KEY GREENS’ POLICIES
But Failure on Compulsory Voting is Missed Opportunity

The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the passage of major local government reforms through the Legislative Council saying they will strengthen Tasmania’s democracy, but said it is disappointing that the opportunity to introduce compulsory voting was not seized.

Greens Local Government spokesperson Tim Morris MP said that the Greens had long campaigned for these reforms including removing the dual representation capacity which allowed for an individual to be a local councillor and sit in the State Parliament at the same time.

“Abolishing dual representation delivers on long-held Greens’ policy, and is a win for the voter, and a win for a modern and accountable democracy,” Mr Morris said. “The voter deservers to have elected representatives prepared to provide that electorate their full time and energy, whether it is a local council seat or a state parliament electorate. Greens Member for Bass Kim Booth first tabled the Greens Bill to bring in this reform in 2002, and a decade later, we are finally seeing the rest of the Parliament catch-up and make this happen.”

“We also welcome the new all-in, all-out fixed terms provisions.  This reform will now assist providing greater certainty and accountability to local councillors and the community which they represent. This will also have the dual win of significantly reducing the cost of council elections which is a big win for the ratepayers, and should free up those funds to go into service delivery.”

“The Legislative Council’s refusal to accept compulsory voting is a missed opportunity. Local government is a very important tier with increased service delivery responsibilities, and the Greens believe that it needs to be treated as seriously as other government tiers through the adoption of compulsory voting.  This would also help to address declining community participation rates at local council elections.”

February question

AT the council's February meeting I asked the following question without notice:

Mr Mayor, can the council write to the Molesworth Recreation Reserve Committee thanking them for their support during the local bushfire?

The mayor advised that a letter will be forwarded to the Molesworth Recreation Reserve Committee.